Can carrier clip



July 14, 1959 o. J. PUP|TcH CAN CARRIER CLIP Filed Feb. 28, 1957 vINVENTOR. jefa dades ZCZ/ CAN CARRIER CLIP Ougljesa Jules Poupitch,Itasca, 1li., assignor to Illinois Tool Works, Chicago, Ill, acorporation of Illinois Application February 28, 1957, Serial No.642,983

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) The present invention relates to novel cancarrier devices, and more particularly to novel can carrier or packagingclips adapted to be applied to annular beads at the ends of cans and thelike for retaining a plurality of cans in assembled relationship.

The present invention contemplates a novel clip structure adapted to beapplied to end rims or beads of four or more adjacently disposed cans orthe like. Previously suggested clip structures capable of engaging rimsor beads of four cans have been constructed so that each can is engagedin an identical manner with the cans arranged so that the clip structuredisposed therebetween is engageable with a limited peripheral extent ofbetween areas of substantial abutment of the cans. While such previouslyclip structures are capable of providing satisfactory results in mostinstances, it is an important object of the present invention to providea novel clip structure having improved holding power so that a morerugged package of at least four `cans or the like may be provided.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novelone-piece sheet material clip member adapted to be applied to at leastfour adjacent cans or the like in a manner so that the clip engagescertain of said cans along a substantially greater circumferentialextent than previously suggested clips so as to improve the holdingpower of the clip structure and the ruggedness of a can package providedthereby.

Another more specific object of the present invention is to provide anovel clip structure of the type mentioned above which may be readilymodified for application to either four, tive, six or seven adjacentlydisposed cans or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description and the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view showing a can package includinga clip structure incorporating the features of the present invention andfour adjacently disposed cans;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2 2 inFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3 3 inFig. l;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the novel clip structure of Fig. l insolid lines and further shows, in broken lines, the manner in whichflanges portions of the clip structure extend laterally before they arecrimped over rims or end beads of the cans;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified clipstructure incorporating the features of the present invention applied todive cans; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a further modifiedembodiment of the present invention which is adapted selectively to beapplied to either six or seven cans or the like.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings Wherein like parts aredesignated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a clipstructure 10 incorporating :2,894,622 Patented July 14, 1959 thefeatures of the present invention is shown in Figs.l4. The clipstructure is formed hom a single piece of sheet material, preferablysheet metal, and is adapted to be applied to pairs of cans 12-14 and16-18 arranged in the manner shown in Fig. l and each having an end rimor bead 20. `It is to be noted that the cans 12 and 14 are disposed inclosely adjacent but slightly spaced parallel relationship while thecans 16 and 18 of the other pair are spaced substantially from eachother or in other words the cans 16 and 18 are disposed at oppositesides of and closely adjacent to the cans 12 and 14.

The clip 10 is provided with an elongated central body portion 22 havingopposite longitudinal side margins 24 and 26 which are adapted toproject beneath the rims of the cans 12 and 14 in the manner shown bestin Fig. 2 and which are curved so as to be complementary to the sidesurfaces of these cans. As shown in iFig. 3 opposite end margins 30 and32 of the body portion are respectively adapted to project beneath therims of the cans 16 and 18, and these end margins are also provided witha curvature complementary to the curvature of the sidewalls of the cans.The side margins 24 and 26 are respectively provided with reverselyfolded abutment portions 34 and 36 throughout their entire lengths andthe end margins are provided with similar reversely folded abutmentportions 38 and 40, which abutment portions are preferably folded backsubstantially against the body portion 22 and serve to rgidify themargins of the body portion and to engage beneath the rims of the cans.Upstanding sections or walls 42 and 44 extend from integral junctionswith the abutment portions 34 and 36 and are curved for conforming withthe upstanding peripheral surfaces of the rims of the cans 12 and 14,and similar upstanding walls or sections 46 and 48 extend from integraljunctions with the abutment portions 38 and 40 for engagement with theperipheral surfaces of the rims of cans 16 and 18. Flanges 50, 52, 54and 56 initially extend laterally outwardly as shown in broken linesfrom the upstanding walls 42, 44, 45 and 43 respectively. These flangesare adapted to overlie the rims of the cans and to be crimped downwardlyfor engagement with the inner surfaces of the can rims in the mannershown. When the flanges are crimped around the can rims as shown best inFigs. 2 and 3, restricted throats are provided between the free edges ofthe flanges and the abutment sections engaging beneath the rims so thatthe cans cannot be removed from the package until the flanges have beenflexed away from the abutment sections to open the throats suiicientlyto permit the rims to pass therethrough. IIt is to be particularly notedthat the clip member margins 24 and 26 and the can rim engaging elementsof the clip associated therewith extend continuously between the cans 12and 14 and extend for substantially greater circumferential portions ofthe cans 12 and 14 than the circumferential portions of the cans 16 and18 along which the corresponding elements of the clip at the end margins30 and 32 extend. Thus, it will be appreciated that the cans 12 and 14will be retained by the clip structure more securely than the cans 1.6and 1S as a result of the greater engagement of the clip with the cans12 and 14, and this improves the strength and ruggedness of the entirepackage. Apertures 58 and 60 are provided adjacent opposite ends of thebody portion 22, which apertures may be utilized for receiving ends of ahandle device, not shown, and preferably the margins of the aperturesare reinforced by annular beads 62 and 64.

`In Fig. 5 there is shown a modified form of the present invention whichis similar to the structure described above as indicated by theapplication of identical reference numerals with the sutiix a added tocorresponding elements. The clip structure lita is identical to the clipstructure described above except that it is provided with an obliqueextension 66 so that the clip is adapted to be applied to a fifth can68. lt will be appreciated that the extension 66 is formed by extendingthe margins 26 and 32 of the body portion and also the can rim engagingelements associated with these margins and that the clip member isprovided with another end margin 70 and elements corresponding to theabutment section 46, the upstanding wall d3, and the flange 56 forengaging the rim of the can 68. The numeral 72 is applied to the flangeportion which corresponds with the above described Harige portion 55. lfdesired, an additional aperture 74 is provided in the extension of thecentral body section. It will be appreciated that not only is thisembodiment adapted for application to five cans, but also the extent ofengagement with the can 14a is substantially increased for furtherrigidifying the entire clip structure when applied to the cans and forimproving the ruggedness of the package.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention which issimilar to the structure described above as indicated by the applicationof identical reference numerals with the sufx b added to correspondingelements. In this embodiment the clip structure is provided withadditional extensions 75', 76, 77 and 78 similar to the above describedextension 66 so that the resulting clip structure ltlb is a continuousannular device and is adapted to be applied to two additional cans 79and S0. In the embodiment shown, the clip is applied to seven cans withthe can Fido disposed centrally within a ring of six cans and engagedhroughout its entire circumferential extent by the annular flange 52h.it will be appreciated, if desired, the central can could be omittedfrom this package so as to provide a six can package.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may bechanged without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

l. A can package comprising at least four cylindrical cans, each havingan end rim which projects radially oeyond the side wall thereof andaxially beyond a closed end thereof, said cans including a first pair ofclosely adjacent cans having slightly spaced apart side walls and endrims and a second pair of relatively widely spaced cans respectivelydisposed at opposite sides of said first pair and closely adjacent toeach can of said first pair and having side walls and end rims slightlyspaced apart from the side walls and end rims of the cans of said rstpair, and a one-piece sheet material clip disposed between said cans andinterconnected with the rims thereof, said clip including an elongatedbody portion disposed axially inwardly of free axially outer edges ofthe said rims, opposite arcuately disposed side marginal portions ofsaid body portion engaging the side walls of the cans of said first pairbeneath the rims thereof and opposite arcuately disposed end marginalportions of said body portion engaging the side walls of the cans ofsaid second pair beneath the rims thereof, said clip also includinglaterally extending thin arcuately disposed outer tiange portionsextending upwardly from said marginal portions and over the rims andhaving arcuate wall portions iitted aga'mst inner sides of the rims thuslocking the cans against separation and enabling the cans to be handledas a unit, outermost portions of said clip being in substantially thesame plane as the axially outer edges of the associated rims.

2. A can package, as defined in claim l, which includes a fifth candisposed closely adjacent to one can of said first pair and also one canof said second pair, and having a side wall slightly spaced from theside walls of said last-mentioned cans of said rst and second pairs saidclip including an extension extending between said last mentioned cansof the first and second pairs, said extension having opposite sidemarginal portions and an end marginal portion engaging the sidewalls ofsaid last mentioned cans of said first and second pairs and said fifthcan behind the radially projecting rims thereof, said clip also havingadditional laterally extending outer flange portions associated withsaid extension extending over the rims and having arcuate wall portionsfitted against inner sides of the rims of said last mentioned cans ofthe first and second pairs and said fifth can.

3. A can package, as defined in claim 1, which includes a plurality ofadditional cans closely adjacent to and arranged about one can of saidfirst pair and having side walls slightly spaced from the side wall ofsaid one can and combining with the remaining cans to provide a ringaround said one can of the first pair, said clip including a pluralityof annularly arranged extensions respectively disposed between said onecan and each can of said second pair and each of said additional cans,each of said extensions presenting marginal portions engaging sidewallsof adjacent cans behind the radially projecting rims thereof, and saidclip including additional laterally extending outer fianges associatedwith each 0f said extensions and extending over the rims and havingarcuate wall portions fitted against inner sides of the rims of adjacentcans.

4. A can package comprising six annularly disposed cylindrical canshaving an end rim which projects radially beyond the sidewall thereofand which projects axially beyond the end thereof, adjacent side wallsof adjacent cans having areas of closest proximity to each otherdisposed on a common circle, and a one piece rigid substantially annularsheet material clip disposed between the cans and substantially entirelywithin said circle and interconnected with the rims of said cans, saidclip having a body portion inwardly of free axially outermost edges ofsaid rims and presenting circumferentially spaced laterally disposedreversely folded double thickness marginal portions engaging thesidewalls of each can behind the radially projecting rim thereof, saidclip also including laterally extending outer liange portions extendingoutwardly from said marginal portions and over the rims and havingarcuate wall portions fitted against inner sides of the rims and lockingthe cans against separation and enabling the cans to be handled as aunit, the outmost portions of said clip being in substantially the sameplane as the axially faced edges of the associated rims.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS603,455 Pinney May 3, 1898 1,200,849 Katzinger Oct. l0, 1916 1,440,544Katzinger Jan. 2, 1923 1,458,236 Morey et al lune 12, 1923 1,477,818Gerlat Dec. 18, 1923 1,800,109 Selig Apr. 7, 1931 2,702,641 Arthur Feb.22, 1955

